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Promoting
democratic
initiatives
USC and CalTech received a new resea rt Ii organization focusing on the pr<>< ■esses and practices of direct democrat i
By GREG DAMIANO
Suit Wr .!••!
fatuity at I SC and tin- California Itist.IuI<• i.l Technology celebrated the New Year hv rec eivim; .1 new international political research organization into 11m • 1 ranks making l'S( the nations largest at .1«I• m •« msti tution studying issues of direc t democ r«i< v
The organization, known as the Initiative and Referendum Institute, works to c onnec I the media and other outlets with experts in the field of demo* 1 .itit mi native and referendum
I S( and ( al Ice h will (imriliiiatr the program through their )omt academic venture knuvMi as the ( enter for the Study of 1 av\ and I'olitu s
"There’s a growing desire l» citi/ens t<» participate in direc t democracy said M Dane Waters. IKI founder and chairman
The IK1 studies policy involving initiative, refer en dum. recall and other modes of direct political partic 1 pat 1011
It maintains a liallotwatc h database that lists every instance of initiative and referendum in the I nifed States; its Web site (www landnnstihite orn) provides free* information
john Matsusaka. a professor of finances and busi ness economic s m the I S( Marshall S< liool of business will serve as IKI president
Matsusaka has contributed to IK! publications ,n the past, along with c olleagues irom ll.u vard I mvei mI\ Oxford I diversity. various pulu vmak irtg organizations and former governors
There is a lot of work tc» he ac c omplished .it IK!' west C04YI ufflCCX (.a 1 rett said
Research and work opportunities for I S( student' may develop as the IKI establishes itself, hopefully to the point of awarding grants for graduate and dot locate i IWI [ 11
IHILi MM
Student Newspaper of the University of Southern California Since 1912
Thursday. January 15, 2004
INSIDE
Ridge visits campus
Secretary of Homeland Security met with students, faculty Wednesday
By ZACH FOX
Staff Writer
Tom Ridge, secretary of Homeland Security, briefly met with students, faculty and administration on campus Wednesday to discuss plans for the new Homeland Security Center of Excellence, the first of its kind designed to address the threat of terrorism.
The purpose of the center will be to analyze the risk of terrorist attacks, how to prevent such attacks and analyzing the possible impact of a terrorist attack.
Nathan Schurr and Jonathan Pearce, doctoral candidates in com puter science who are involved in the center’s planning, explained to Ridge how they would be able to use a soft ware program, which was initially designed to simulate natural disasters. to minimize damage done by a terrorist attack, Schurr said.
The program simulates disasters in a digital replica of an actual city.
The user can then place "intelligence agents," such as fire trucks, police cars or anything else that would be employed in such a situation.
Schurr and Pearce propose to modify the program to respond to a terrorist attack.
After the agents resolve the situation, the program tells the user how much damage the disaster inflicted upon a city.
Users can then analyze the outcome and figure out which disaster response strategies result in the least amount of damage
Schurr said they were able lo give the secretary only a brief overview of the program.
"I gave a more in-depth report of it about a month ago when it was
tugene Lee I Da«iy Troian
Extra security. Tom Ridge, secretary of Homeland Security, gets into his car after discussing proposals with students and faculty for USC's Homeland Security Center of Excellence
first announced (that USC was sel< 11-ed as the first center) to Under Secretary Charles MiQueary." Schurr said.
Carol Armstrong, a doctoral candidate in public policy, gave a presen tation on the long-term impact of a terrorist attack, Schurr said.
"It was surprising to me how excited (Ridge) was about getting students involved," Schurr said.
In addition to the three students.
a Ridge met with co-directors of the center. Hall and Detlof von Winterfeldt; CM.. Max Nikias, dean ol the school of engineering, l.loyd Armstrongjr, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs; and Daniel Mazmaman. C. Irwin dean of the school of policy, planning and development.
Wednesday's meeting was fairly short and informal Its main goal was > see RM(a page 11
11 HYi.S
surprising In me Iiim excited he itm.
♦
NATHAN
SCHURR
Phi) cu/uUdalr
Ratf«c fci-« ua*»y Tio)«« What matter* Professor Ricnard Dekmejian spo*e to
students at Gr0uf^3 Zero m "What Matters senes
Understanding world’s evils key for professor
7 m one of the few people who believe tluit leadership makes a difference" —♦ -RICHARD H. DEKMEJIAN professor political science
Professor Dekmejian spoke to a Ground Zero audience about what matters to him
By JAMES R. KORIN
Contributing Writer
The key to preventing violence in the world is understanding its causes. USC Professor Richard H. Dekmejian told a group of more than 70 students and faculty members Wednesday afternoon.
“It s not that certain women in the world give birth to terrorists. Terrorists are produced under certain pathological crisis conditions," Dekmejian said.
Understanding and working to ameliorate those conditions should be a priority, he said.
A crowded audience- elbowed its way into Ground Zero Coffeehouse to hear Dekmejian speak about the
human condition, leadership and the study of evil and violence as part of the What Matters to Me and Why" lecture series
"I'm overwhelmed by the nastiness of tlie human condition lie said, citing terrorism, genocide, poverty and famine examples of human suffering “I'm overwhelmed with it every day, nearly every hour and I just don’t know how to deal with it." he said.
Dekmejian was born in Syria to refugees of the Armenian genocide. He is now a professor of political science.
Dekmejian said that he tries to deal with the evils of the world by attempting to understand what makes them possible
“If you really want lo prevent violence. you have lo look at the social psychological and economic causes that breed that type of violence." he said.
“I'm one of the few people who I see Pah—a— Page 10
WEATHER
Today: Mostly sunny. High of 69. low of 49.
Tomorrow: Sunny. High of 70. low of 49.
INDEX
*
Hip-hop's popularity dominated in 2003 and Grammy nominations. 7
Columnist Erika Ramberg analyzes the. difficulty of "playing the game." •
News Pigttt.....JC Upcoming-----2
Opinion*.------.4 Ufe»tyt«-i—if
Clauificdi------12 SporU-------X*

Promoting
democratic
initiatives
USC and CalTech received a new resea rt Ii organization focusing on the pr<>< ■esses and practices of direct democrat i
By GREG DAMIANO
Suit Wr .!••!
fatuity at I SC and tin- California Itist.IuI see RM(a page 11
11 HYi.S
surprising In me Iiim excited he itm.
♦
NATHAN
SCHURR
Phi) cu/uUdalr
Ratf«c fci-« ua*»y Tio)«« What matter* Professor Ricnard Dekmejian spo*e to
students at Gr0uf^3 Zero m "What Matters senes
Understanding world’s evils key for professor
7 m one of the few people who believe tluit leadership makes a difference" —♦ -RICHARD H. DEKMEJIAN professor political science
Professor Dekmejian spoke to a Ground Zero audience about what matters to him
By JAMES R. KORIN
Contributing Writer
The key to preventing violence in the world is understanding its causes. USC Professor Richard H. Dekmejian told a group of more than 70 students and faculty members Wednesday afternoon.
“It s not that certain women in the world give birth to terrorists. Terrorists are produced under certain pathological crisis conditions," Dekmejian said.
Understanding and working to ameliorate those conditions should be a priority, he said.
A crowded audience- elbowed its way into Ground Zero Coffeehouse to hear Dekmejian speak about the
human condition, leadership and the study of evil and violence as part of the What Matters to Me and Why" lecture series
"I'm overwhelmed by the nastiness of tlie human condition lie said, citing terrorism, genocide, poverty and famine examples of human suffering “I'm overwhelmed with it every day, nearly every hour and I just don’t know how to deal with it." he said.
Dekmejian was born in Syria to refugees of the Armenian genocide. He is now a professor of political science.
Dekmejian said that he tries to deal with the evils of the world by attempting to understand what makes them possible
“If you really want lo prevent violence. you have lo look at the social psychological and economic causes that breed that type of violence." he said.
“I'm one of the few people who I see Pah—a— Page 10
WEATHER
Today: Mostly sunny. High of 69. low of 49.
Tomorrow: Sunny. High of 70. low of 49.
INDEX
*
Hip-hop's popularity dominated in 2003 and Grammy nominations. 7
Columnist Erika Ramberg analyzes the. difficulty of "playing the game." •
News Pigttt.....JC Upcoming-----2
Opinion*.------.4 Ufe»tyt«-i—if
Clauificdi------12 SporU-------X*